Thill-coupling.



N0. 697,80. Patentod Apr. 8, I902. C. C. BRADLEY.

THILL COUPLING.

(Appiication filed Feb. 3, 1902.)

No Model.)

flz'iorwe a.

Nrrnn STATES ATEN-r OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NE\V YORK.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECZFIGATION fornt ing' part of Letters Patent No. 697,130, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed February 3, 1902. Serial No. 92,274. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER O. BRAD- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a quick-shifting thill-coupling, in which the movable jaw or member of the coupling is pressed down by a spring which is arranged underneath the coupling and axle and which projects forwardly from its point of attachment to a link or other connecting device extending from the front portion of the spring upwardly to the movable jaw or member.

The object of the invention is to provide means for securing the spring by means of the clip in a simple, effective, compact, and convenient manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a thill-coupling provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detached top plan View of the spring.

. Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the axle of a vehicle, and B the thill-iron, provided with a draft knuckle or bolt b of spherical or other suitable form or construction.

0 represents the lower fixed jaw of the coupling, and D the upper movable jaw, which is preferably hinged to the front end of the fixed jaw at d, as shown, but may be constructed and arranged in any other suitable manner, so

as to grasp the draft knuckle or bolt securely and permit the coupling to be opened for the insertion and renewal of the knuckle or bolt in a well-known manner.

E represents the clip-plate, which is arranged on the under side of the axle and is preferably formed in one piece with the lower jaw O, as shown, but may be of any other well-known construction.

F represents the clip, which straddles the front axle and passes with its screw-threaded front and rear legs ff downwardly through holes in the clip-plate. The rear leg f is longer than the front leg f to receive two screw-nuts g g, while the shorter front legf receives but one screw-nut g H represents the spring, which is applied to the rearlegf of the clip between the screwnuts g g and extends forwardly and downwardly from said rear leg and terminates in a thumb-piece h, by which the spring is raised for releasing the movable jaw or member of the coupling. I is a link or other suitable connecting device, which is attached at its lower end to the spring H in rear of the thumbpiece It and extends upwardly to the movable jaw. The rear portion of the spring is provided with an opening '6, through which the rear leg f of the clip passes. The rear end of the spring is turned up and forms a flange or lip K, which projects upwardly on the rear side of the upper screw-nut g and holds the spring against turning on the leg of the clip and also locks the upper nut against turning. The spring can be applied and removed Without disturbing the clip and clip-plate and is firmly and reliably attached to the axle in a very simple and inexpensive manner. The spring itself is also simple and inexpensive in construction, as it is not formed with a return-bend, but is nearly straight.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination of an axle, a clip straddling the same, a clip-plate arranged underneath the axle, a spring applied to one of the legs of said clip, screw-nuts applied to said leg above and below said spring, means for preventing the spring from turning on said leg, a coupling composed of a fixed and a movable jaw, and a connection between the spring and the movable jaw, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an axle, a clip strad dling the same, a clip-plate, aspring applied to the rear leg of the clip and extending forwardly therefrom, screw-nuts applied to the rear leg of the clip above and below said spring, a coupling composed of a fixed and a movable jaw, and a connection between the spring and the movable jaw, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of an axle, a clip strad' dling the same, a clip-plate, a spring applied to the rear leg of the clip and extending forwardly therefrom, screw-nuts applied to the rear leg of the clip above and below said spring, the latter being provided at its rear end with a lip projecting on the rear side of the upper nut, a coupling composed of a fixed and a movable jaw,'andaconneetion between the spring and the movable jaw, substantially as set forth. 1o

Witness my hand this 24th day of January, 1902.

CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY. Witnesses:

MILDRED M. NOTT, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

